|
| Effect | Type of fructan | Dose/duration | Model | Results | Reference |
|
| Decreasing blood glucose | FOS, inulin | 8 g/d for 14 days; 10% for 4 weeks | Diabetic subjects; animal models | Significant reduction of mean fasting blood glucose levels. Improving glucose tolerance | [49–51] |
|
| Reduction in blood serum triacylglycerol levels | FOS, inulin | 4–34 g/d for 21–60 days; 10% for 3–5 weeks | Healthy humans; obese animal models | Significant reduction in blood serum triacylglycerol levels | [52–54] |
|
| Improved lipid metabolism | FOS, GOS, inulin, and agavins | 5%–10% for 21 day to 8 weeks | Obese animal models | Decrease in body weight gain. Decrease in epididymal adipose tissue, inguinal adipose tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Reducing fat-mass development | [41, 50, 51, 55–59] |
|
| Stimulation of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria and decreasing pathogens | FOS, GOS, and inulin | 2.5–34 g/d for 14–64 days | Healthy subjects and animal models | Stimulating the growth of bifidobacteria and contributing to the suppression of potential pathogenic bacteria | [46, 60, 61] |
|
| Relief of constipation | Inulin, FOS, and GOS | 20–40 g/d for 19 days | Constipated humans and animal models | Inulin showing a better laxative effect than lactose and reducing functional constipation with only mild discomfort | [62, 63] |
|
| Increased production of SCFAs and decreasing colon pH | Inulin, FOS, and agavins | 24 g/d for 5 weeks; 10% for 28 days | Healthy subjects; animal models | Significant increase of acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Significantly increasing activity of bacterial enzymes and decreasing the pH of digesta | [36, 64, 65] |
|
| Improving mineral uptake | Inulin, FOS, and agavins | 1–40 g/d for 9 days; 50–100 g/kg diet for 4 weeks | Male healthy adolescents; animal models | FOS stimulating fractional calcium absorption in male adolescents. A combination of different carbohydrates showing synergistic effects on intestinal Ca absorption and balance in rats | [66–69] |
|
| Regulated gut peptides | Inulin, FOS, and agavins | 24 g/d for 5 weeks; 10% for 5 weeks | Healthy subjects; animals models | Increasing plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentrations and reducing ghrelin. Increasing endogenous GLP-2 production and consequently improving gut barrier functions | [36, 41, 50, 57, 59] |
|
| Reducing body weight and energy intake | Agavins | 10% for 5 weeks | Male healthy animal model | Agave fructans showing indications of prebiotic activity, particularly in relation to satiety and GLP-1 and ghrelin secretion. In this same study, the levels of butyric acid were higher for Agave potatorum fructans | [43] |
|
| Growth inhibition and prevention of adhesion of pathogenic microorganisms | FOS | 170 mg/kg, 2 weeks of lactation | Breast-fed infant; cocultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Oligosaccharides in human milk interfering with microbial adhesion. Reduction of exotoxin A in cultures of P. aeruginosa | [39, 40] |
|
| Reduction of oxidative stress by reducing ROS levels | FOS, agavins | 10% for 4–8 weeks | Male obese animal models | FOS reducing TBARS urine. Lipopolysaccharides reduction in plasma. Improving the redox status by reducing the malondialdehyde serum levels and protein oxidative damage | [9, 42, 65] |
|
| Stimulation of the immune system | FOS, GOS, and inulin | | | | See Table 2 |
|
